What Do You Want Most?
by GoatMilkandTACOS
Summary: Two friends find themselves in the world of POTC, discovering they have found what they want most. But what have they given up? Self-insert, Jack/OC, Will/OC First in a series.
1. The Locket

"We will shortly be arriving at London Charing Cross."

The clear, electronic voice echoes from the train's many speakers, and I jerk awake. Beneath me, the wheels are slowing, the eight carriages all jolting slowly into the station. The right side of my face is numb from sleeping against the window and I squint as bright sunlight catches my eyes.

Wearily, I gather my possessions; notebook and pen in rucksack, rucksack on back, suitcase standing up, ready to be wheeled off the train. The air con makes the carriage perfectly cool, but I can see from the golden sunshine and azure sky that it is another boiling day outside. Great, I think to myself, I'm travelling during the worst heat wave for a century.

The full force of the humid, suffocating heat hits me as I climb off the train and join the throng of commuters on the platform. London during the rush hour is like a stampede or buffalos, except louder with more mobile phones.

"Catch a cab to King's Cross" my mum told me repeatedly before I left, and now I see the line of waiting, black taxis. I could easily climb in and ask to go to King's Cross Station, where I am to catch the next train to Heathrow Airport, but it's hot and I don't feel like wasting all my money on a taxi when the station is not far. Instead, I dodge the taxis and cross the road determinedly, in order to walk in the meagre shade of the street's few trees.

Up ahead, I see them; gypsies...just like the one who forced me to buy a sprig of heather for £2 last time I was in London. The city is full of them, and I am in no mood to argue with them today. Holding my head up and tossing back my hair in an effort to look intimidating, I walk faster, hoping to march past unscathed.

"Ni-im." one of them grabs my arm and whispers my name in a singsong voice. She is old, with a wrinkled, wizened face and a mass of magnificent black hair that streams down her back. I notice a familiar locket gleaming at her throat.

"How do you know my name?" I ask stupidly. Isn't that what heroines ask in movies? Usually before being gutted by a serial killer?

"I know more than you think." she steers me into an alleyway and I am forced to drag my suitcase behind me, "For example, I know you're unhappy...bored of life. I know...you would like a wish."

"Look, I need to catch a train." I say pathetically, actually believing that this mad woman cares about my time schedule. I reach into my pocket and pull out £2, "Here."

The gypsy pockets my coins and I make to leave, realising now that her hand is still gripping my arm, clawlike.

"You are very lucky, Nim. Today you will meet your double, someone who needs what you need...am I right?"

I certainly am going to meet someone today. That's the whole point of this little trip across the sodding Atlantic Ocean.

"Meg..." the name escapes me before I can stop it.

"Take this." the gypsy removes her locket and hands it to me. It's point digs sharply into my palm, drawing blood, "Now close your eyes, and let go of me."

Dizzily, I see that I am holding her hand and that she is no longer holding me. But then my eyes are forced closed, as if by an invisible hand, and white light burns behind my eyes. Something falls away inside me, and I am suddenly floating...floating apart. My mind is detached from the rest of me and the light grows brighter. Then everything whooshes back together, and for the second time today, I wake with a start.

The hustle and bustle of the airport terminal surrounds me as I realise I am sitting on a plastic chair. A screen over the heads of the milling passengers tells me that I am in the right terminal and as I move my foot, I feel it hit my suitcase which, to my relief, has survived our jaunt through time and space. No, Nim, I remind myself, my dream. It was a bloody dream. And now I have to check in.

Wobbly-legged, I make my way to the desk, the suitcase bumping along behind me. There is a shooting pain in my hand and as I examine my palm, I am forced to close my mouth around the scream that explodes inside me. Lying there, against my pale skin, is the locket from my dream, bloodstained. Beside it is a small gash in my skin...just like in the dream. Hastily, I cram the locket into my rucksack and retrieve my ticket before blindly stumbling to the desk and wordlessly handing it over to the desk clerk.

"Are you alright?" the woman behind the desk is middle-aged with a kind, concerned face, "You look really pale."

"I'm always pale." I mutter, holding out my other hand for the boarding pass.

"You know, you might have heatstroke. Lots of girls have collapsed here lately because of it. I could get you some water if you like." she prattles on.

"No! I'm fine!" I snap, and she hands me the pass, obviously offended.

A couple of hours later, I sit on the plane, calmer and ready to examine the locket some more. It looks familiar again as I turn it over in my hand, and I realise it is Tia Dalma's...Calypso's...locket from Pirates of the Caribbean. A replica of Calypso's locket, I correct myself. It opens in my hand and plays that familiar tune, the little music box tune I hear almost daily when I listen to the soundtrack. Very cute. It must've cost the gypsy a lot. But there was no gypsy, was there? It was a dream. I am confused and angry, so I shake the locket. As I do, a piece of yellowing, faded paper falls from it and into my lap. Glancing about to see if anyone is watching me, I fold away the locket and unfold the paper. Written across it in spidery, black ink is a rhyme;

"_For the lost and lonely girl_

_Who must escape her lonely world,_

_A wish that can't be wished alone._

_She'll need one with a soul just like her own_."

After reading it several times, I put it back in the locket and wonder what my arrival in America will bring. Could the gypsy have been telling the truth? Adventure overpowers me, and soon I am asleep, dreaming in disjointed fragments made up of gypsies, airports and scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean. But the clearest image of all is my own hand, bleeding and injured, holding that locket, and time itself falling away beneath me.


	2. Discovery

_Ok, don't be nervous...the last thing they want to see is some blabbering English kid who can hardly string three words together... _I am surprisingly silent as I sit in the car beside Meg, listening to the engine and my own nervous tapping on the side of the seat. She asked me as soon as she saw me what my text message was about, and I told her I'd tell her later. To be honest, I don't know why I sent the sodding thing. It was the demented ramblings of a very tired girl. On the plane, I decided that the whole thing was an elaborate hoax cooked up by a very clever gypsy...and I refuse to let that strangeness follow me here. There are more pressing matters at hand; meeting Meg's family and myriad of friends.

"Is something wrong?" she asks, the frustration clear in her voice. She can't have been expecting a quiet, nervous, tapping creature. I must be quite the disappointment.  
"No. I'm just a little nervous about meeting your family." I lie. Firstly, I am extremely nervous, and secondly, the stupid locket is still playing on my mind. I am wearing it round my neck; a dreadful, heavy thing.

So, Nim...you have to make a good first impression. Something you're not good at. Be cheerful. My thoughts are a running commentary as we get ever closer to her house, and what I am sure will be my imminent doom. No more words are exchanged and I can actually feel myself going red; an irritating habit I have in scary situations.

As it turns out, Meg's family are perfectly normal, and I manage to charm them...as much as possible when I'm terrified. My voice goes breathy and I sound slightly demented, but they're amused by my accent, so I think it's OK. Even at dinner, when I try to keep up with conversation and not drift into listlessness (something my parents have been trying to train out of me), I hold my own and don't look stupid once. Hell, I even make a couple of jokes which get laughs, albeit very quiet, polite ones.

It is only when I am sitting on the camp bed in Meg's room that I remember the locket. I take it off, managing to drag my eyes from Jack Sparrow on the TV screen for a few seconds to look at the damn thing again. It catches the light from the TV and shines.

"That's a good replica." I look up and see Meg looking at me, "That locket is what the message was about isn't it?"

"How did you guess?" I put the thing on the bed and turn to look at her. She smiles knowingly and I roll my eyes, "Oh, yeah...the two souls thing."

"The what?" she looks confused.

"This..." I read the little rhyme out, though I hardly have to look at the paper, I know it so well. Then, I pass it to her, along with the locket and explain how it was given to me.

SHe listens intently then looks down at the locket.

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

"What?" I have a bad feeling that I know where this is going.

"The wish. It's obvious what she wanted us to wish for!" Meg laughs.

"Obvious?" I raise an eyebrow, "You call this obvious? The only thing obvious about it is that we obviously should dismiss it as some crazy prank! I mean, for the love of Satan...a gypsy gave it to me!" I ramble, my voice rising in pitch and volume til I'm not only mad but squawking.

"She wants us to wish to be in POTC." she explains calmly, "Think about it...the Calypso locket, the music, the poem; escape her lonely world. She wants us to go to the world where we would be happier."

"I don't know how you got that from a replica locket and a piece of crap poetry, but I'll wish if you want me to." I sigh. I glance back at the TV where Curse of the Black Pearl is still playing. It's the scene where Jack and Elizabeth are on the beach together, and it's Jack's line. I find myself murmuring the well-known words with him,

"What a ship is...what the Black Pearl really is...is freedom..."

Without another word, I hold onto the locket at the same time as Meg. We look at each other and laugh before both whispering "We want to be in the world of Pirates of the Caribbean!"

Immediately, I know something has changed. My eyes are forced closed, just like before and as the same white light burns, I feel I am being pulled apart. It is not like the floating of my last trip through time and space; it is hard and fast, a wind rushing through my ears that carries voices too fast and blurred to make sense. the light burns brighter and I fear I will come apart from the pressure of this journey. But then, I whoosh back together, falling into my own body and doubling over. Then, everything goes incredibly dark.

When I wake, it is by degrees. First, I can establish I have gone somewhere, because I can feel sand beneath me, not the blanket of the bed I was sitting on. A warm wind softly blows strands of hair across my face and I can hear birds singing far off in the distance. Not daring to open my eyes, I search for other clues; sniffing the air to find it salty...sea air. I strain my ears to hear voices coming from somewhere on my right. It is not clear what they are saying...until I catch a familiar line float across to me.

"Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, did we...pirate?"

"Norrie!" I shout, and to my relief, my voice still works. It is then that I finally open my eyes and see Meg lying on the sand beside me.

"We're here." she sits up and flicks blonde hair from her face. With much trepidation, I do the same, struggling to get my useless mass of hair back into some order.

I can see the scene from the start of Pirates taking place only a few yards away on a jetty. Welcome to Port Royal, Nim.

"What do we do?" I ask as Meg gets up, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Duh..." she rolls her eyes, "We explore."


	3. Exploring

**Hi! This story was originally written by two people - Nim and Meg- but Meg's chapters have been removed, frankly, for grammatical reasons. :P If I need to explain plot points, I will do it here at the top. But it's unlikely. **

We walk across the sand towards the dock where the scene is taking place. My sudden outburst has cleared my head a little, and I am beginning to accept the fact that I am in a different reality. Logic seems fuzzy and far-off, as if I'm in some odd dream that is so frighteningly real I want to live in it forever. The only thought that troubles me is getting as quickly as possible over to Jack and Norrie.

It becomes clear immediately that they can't see us, which is lucky because I think these 18th-century people may be shocked by two girls in pyjamas.

"Why can't they see us?" Meg whispers.

"I don't know. It's lucky really."

"Why?" she waves a hand in front of Jack's face as he talks to Norrington.

"Well, they would probably kill us!" I snap, unable to resist lightly touching Jack's arm, to check if he is real. One of the soldiers pulls him forward and I know what is going to happen next; he will take Elizabeth hostage. She is standing there, ready.

"Shall we wait about here?" Meg is pulling on Norrie's wig with a look of boredom on her face.

"Hmm..." I suddenly have an idea, "Let me just test something." I watch the characters' movements for a little while, then shout "STOP!"

It is amazing. Everything goes perfectly still, frozen, silent. Norrington's mouth is open, his voice caught mid-word. Jack's swaying becomes a bizarre tableau. Giggling, I walk among them.

"Whoa..." Meg joins me, and soon we are poking the characters and playing with their hair. It's the strangest sight ever, "Can we make it start again?" she asks after a few minutes of braiding Jack's hair and opening and closing Governor Swann's mouth.

"I think so." I put Jack's compass back where I found it, "Begin again?" I try it, and immediately the scene starts up again.

"Slow down?" Meg tries, and they are all moving and speaking in slow motion. We can hardly catch our breath for laughing.

"Speed up!" I shriek, and they move faster than ever, Jack speaking in squeaks to Elizabeth before swinging madly on the crane. Everything is a blur, "Slow down!"

When they are back to normal, moving at the pace of the film, Meg suggests we go to the blacksmith's forge. I know she is keen to meet Will Turner, so I agree.  
The walk through Port Royal is unusual. I have seen this scene so many times that I know the way Jack runs; over the bridge and across the street. I even recognize the blacksmith's sign.

Inside, everything is silent except for the snores of Mr Brown in the corner. We tiptoe about, our feet making dust clouds fly up and spread out. The swords that gleam on the walls are too tempting to resist, and I find myself walking involuntarily towards them. I pick one up, savouring the metallic sound it makes as it leaves its sheath.

"Meg?" I whisper, awed, "Come here..."

We swordfight, somewhat clumsily, and we both find ourselves quite awful at it. It's quite different to watching the film, and I find myself exhausted pretty fast.

"Eep...can we go to the governor's house and find some nice clothes? I'm tired." I sink down on some sacks, still holding the sword in my hand.

"Good idea." Meg looks distractedly towards the door, "But can we wait for Will first?"

I nod and we sit together. It will only be a few minutes before he arrives. Sure enough, Will comes through the door and Meg gets up, walking in front of him with the biggest smile I've ever seen.

"Stop!" she says, and he freezes. I laugh as she puts her arms round him and turns to me, "Don't I make a better Elizabeth?"

"Definitely. You can close your mouth for all of five seconds." I get up and hold my sword to Will's throat, "You think this wise, boy? Crossing blades with a pirate?" I mock.

"Don't kill him!" Meg whines.

"No...I have a better idea." I go right up to him and look him in the eyes. The effect is quite startling; as if he can actually see me. If he were breathing, I would be able to feel his breath on my face, "See us and hear us, Will..." I whisper.

There is a weird whooshing sound and he moves again. Then, he really does see me, and his scream splits the air.

"Who the bloody Hell are you?!"


	4. Surprise

**Back to Nim again. **

_This is what you get for being from another century! Some jumped-up blacksmith threatening to have you executed. Right, Nim...it will take some fast talking to get you out of this..._

"I'm sorry, Mr Turner, if I came across a little...irritable. As you can probably see, we are hardly suitably attired to meet you." I give what I hope might be a winning smile,

"And we are close friends of Weatherby Swann...I mean, Governor Swann...of course. I was thinking he might be able to lend us some clothes...at least until tomorrow."

"He's busy...at the ceremony for Commodore Norrington."

_I know that, you bloody idiot! I've seen the film enough times..._I think to myself, trying to hold my smile.

"If you would kindly give us directions, sir, I will...see you well compensated for your trouble."

"With all due respect, Miss, I am not letting you go anywhere. Why, you're dressed like a pirate!" he spits the word with so much loathing that I almost laugh, looking down briefly at my rainbow-striped pyjamas.

"Pirate, me?" I force a cheery laugh, but this isn't going anywhere fast, "Look, Turner, you might not believe I'm a friend of the governor, but is it a risk you want to take? If he hears you treated his own dear Nim with so much cruelty...he'll have you hanged."

Finally, that stubborn gaze of his falters, and I can see Meg from the corner of my eye practically deflate with relief.

"Do we...have an understanding?" she asks, her voice markedly higher than usual.

"Yes, good lady." he grudgingly bows to her and kisses her hand, while shooting me a nasty look, "Take the main road into the hills. Keep going for about half a mile. The house is on the left...you can't miss it." he says through gritted teeth.

"Thanks, whelp." I drag Meg off, before her eyes fall out of their sockets, "STOP SEEING!" I look at him over my shoulder as his eyes cloud over and he looks very dazed for a few moments. Then, it is as if we are not there. I know it is time to go, for soon Jack will arrive, and if I'm going to show myself to him, I at least want to be dressed suitably.

Meg and I walk through the town undetected by its inhabitants. We laugh at a man who runs down the street, chasing after his geese, and the wenches who look so much like Scarlett and Giselle from Tortuga. This world is everything I had hoped, and all my misgivings are fading away, replaced by the sheer thrill of it. The road out of town is dusty, and the sun beats relentlessly down on us. Soon, we are both out of breath and sweating, but the house is there, looming up like a great, magnificent monster.

The gates are easy enough to climb, and I thank Satan that the people of the 18th century have not yet discovered CCTV. They have even left the front door unlocked for us, and we pass servants who do not see us.

Elizabeth's room is beautiful, but I can already anticipate the problem; there is no way that her dresses would fit us...unless we put on those corsets, and tighten them a lot. And if we're about to embark on an adventure, I would rather be able to breathe.

"See, they're tiny!" Meg is sceptical when I voice these fears, but when I hold up the dresses, she looks immediately disappointed. Clearly Elizabeth is much smaller than she appears on screen, "The camera adds 10 pounds..."

"There is more than one wardrobe in this house." Meg smiles widely and grabs a pair of corsets, "Let's raid the governor's closet, eh?"

We put on lace-collared, puffy sleeved, very piratical shirts, with the corsets over the top. Then, we both choose trousers from the governor's extensive collection; Meg choosing black velvet and myself, dark green. Meg ties a scarf round her head and finds us a pair of belts...where we can stow our newly-pilfered swords. Then, we pull on boots.

"Are we pirates now?" I laugh dizzily as I examine my new outfit in the mirror. I look like a cross between a tavern wench and a Pirate Lord. Meg's idea was amazing.

"Obviously!" she laughs even louder than me, takes my arm and leads me out of the room and out of the house. We are heading towards the sprawling, grey fort; Fort Charles, and, more importantly, the jail beneath it that will house Jack Sparrow for the night. We want to be in the right place when he and Will commandeer the ship the next morning.

Although the sun is hot, and the velvet trousers do nothing to help to situation, Meg and I are in extremely high spirits. We wander down the road, singing "Hoist the Colours" as loud as possible, knowing full well that no one can hear us...or so we think. As we sing the final verse, something very strange happens.

"The bell has been raised from its watery grave!" we shout, but then...

"Do you hear its sepulchral tone?" the rich accented voice of Tia Dalma comes from behind us. We both stop and turn round very slowly, to find her looking straight at us, her expression indecipherable, "We're a call to all, pay heed the squall and turn your sail toward home..." she finishes, "So you are the girls? The ones from the other world?"

"Yes..." Meg whispers, clearly terrified. Her hand finds mine; we're both shaking.

"Good." Tia...Calypso smiles, "Then, I have some advice for you."


	5. The Jail

For the second time today, I find myself coming to by degrees. The difference is that, this time, the first thing I notice is the smell; stale air and old straw. A stable? Beside me, Meg is coughing, so I sit up and open my eyes, wondering whether we have been transported back to the 21st century.

But no...we are still very much in the strange semi-reality of _Pirates_, and I now find myself in a jail cell...not just any jail cell, but the one Jack will soon be in for the night, awaiting the hanging that will never come.

"What? You've locked us up?!" Meg is on her feet and furious. For a moment, I think she is about to lunge at Calypso, who stands serenely in the corner, and I almost remind her how foolish it would be to try and beat up a deity. But Meg stays still, and I stagger to my feet.

"No. This is where you were headed, yes?"

"Yes." I reply.

"Good." Calypso smiles at us, "You play a dangerous game here. If you alter the course of the story too much, you will be trapped here forever. Try and stick to certain people...and don't reveal yourself too freely. You are at risk of death like everyone else as soon as you tell them to see you."

"We can still die here?"

"Oh, yes. But you have already proven yourselves wise, girls. You went and found clothes that will let you fit in. Now, you must make it to the end of the story to be able to go home."

"We can't leave until then?" Meg asks, and I wonder whether she is already tiring of our adventures.

"No...you must stay now."

"Does it..." I struggle to phrase this question, because I know it might upset my friend, "Does it matter that we've already revealed ourselves?"

Anger flashes in Tia Dalma's eyes and her smile fades.

"Who?"

"Will Turner." I say grimly, "Will he remember?"

"Most definitely. You must make up a story for yourselves. Then, when Jack Sparrow arrives, tell him you're here for a reason. It will be up to you to go with them from now on." Calypso glares at me, "I did not anticipate that you would show yourselves so early."

"Sorry." we both mumble.

"It is done now. You must make sure that the story ends with the same outcome as it normally does. I will be gone now. You may call me using the locket, but do not call without good reason." she vanishes, fading into the wall and dissolving into nothing.

"Wait! Call you how? What do we do?" I rush at the wall, but find that she is definitely gone when face meets wall and I am knocked backwards off my feet. We are alone in the cell.

I hear voices out in the corridor. The guards are bringing Jack Sparrow to his cell. Quickly, I go to Meg.

"What can be our story?" I ask frantically.

"I don't know! You make one up." she sits sullenly on a bench. One problem at a time, Nim...talk to her later. I sit beside her and wait.

"See us!" I hiss, just as the guards round the corner and make to unlock the cell, seeing us and looking confused.

"Who're they?" a tall, lanky guard with a slipping wig asks his colleague.

"Murtogg must've brought 'em down." the older guard answers gruffly and opens the door, shoving our famous pirate inside.

"Ah, prison with two fair ladies. What are the chances?" Jack spies us and smiles voraciously.

"Behave yourself, or we'll lock you up on your own!" the guard warns, locks the door and leaves.

Jack saunters to the other side of the cell, his face in shadow, but I can tell he is still watching us, his smile shining with his gold teeth. _Now or never..._I think to myself, _go and talk to him...he has to know our story.  
_  
"Hello. Pleased to meet you. I am Nim...Lady Nim...of Kent." I step forward boldly and hold out my hand to him, expecting him to shake it. Instead, he raises it to his lips, never breaking our eye contact. _Never break eye contact, Nim. They'll know you're intimidated_. My dad's advice echoes in my head, and I force myself not to look away.

"Well, Lady Nim," he says my name with some disbelief, "What brings you here?"

"You way call me Nim, good sir." I curtsy for effect, "And this is my good friend...Lady Meg...Meg, to you. We're...pirates."

"You don't say?" he smiles even wider, "Well, Nim. I am Captain Jack Sparrow. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

In spite of the situation, my heart races. He is exactly the same as the character in the film...the one I watched with fascination. Meg smirks, noticing my blush and averted eyes. Jack sinks to the floor.

"You may have the bench if you like." I suggest, trying to be polite.

"Ah, the sun is setting." I look out the barred window, and sure enough, it is, "I was hoping you might come and sleep down here...keep me company." he looks at us both.

Just as I am about to retort, a whole load of prisoners are rounded into the cell next door. They immediately begin grabbing at us through the bars. Meg has the initiative to pull me across to the other side of the cell where we sit, one on either side of Jack.

"Normally it takes more convincing." he informs me.

"Yes, well, it was them or you." I snap, "You're the lesser of two evils. Meg, I think it will be a long night."

She laughs. I might act haughty, but we both know that spending the night in a cell with Jack Sparrow won't be the worst torture for me.


	6. Commandeer

"You're familiar with that ship? The Black Pearl?" Will asks Jack, and I am tempted to mouth the words along with him.

"I heard of it." Jack replies. Meg buries her face in her hands to keep from laughing.

"Where does it make berth?" Will is distracted by us, "You!" he cries.

"Yes. You know these two?" Jack looks at me.

"They were in the forge yesterday...just before you arrived. Meg and..." Will Turner gives me a very evil look, "Lady Nim."

"Pirates." Jack gestures to us with a flourish.

"Where does it make berth?" Will presses.

"Have you not heard the stories? Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta, an island that cannot be found, except by those who know where it is."

"The ship is real, therefore its anchorage must be a real place. Where is it?"

"Why ask me?"

"Because you're a pirate!"

"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it?"

"Never! They took Miss Swann."

Bored, I stand up.

"So, it is that you've found a girl!" I say with a smile, "Isn't that right, William Turner?" I use his name, hoping that this will bring the agreement faster.

"Will Turner? No doubt named for your father, eh?" Jack smirks.

"Yes. Will you take me there? To the Black Pearl?"

"I'm afraid I'm otherwise engaged..." Jack points at the jail cell.

"I can get you out. These are half pin-barrel hinges. With the right leverage, and the proper application of strength, the door will lift free."

Jack considers this for a moment, and I can tell what is running through his head. This could be his chance to take back the Black Pearl, the ship he has been denied for so many years. Gradually, the filthy smile spreads across his face and he stops twirling his moustache.

"We have an accord." he says, getting up, "Now, get me out!"  
Will lifts the bench into position and prepares to break the cell door. Meg watches him in amazement and I can't help but laugh. When the door is broken off, Will is in a hurry to leave.

"Quick! Someone will have heard that."

"Son, I need to get my effects." Jack fetches his things and turns to us, "And aren't you forgetting someone?"

"Them? They have to come too?" Will looks disgustedly at me.

"I think so." Jack grabs my arm and in a panic, I grab Meg's. We leave the cell with a squeal of delight, knowing that soon, we will be setting sail.

We commandeer the Interceptor just as the pirates do in the film. Jack asks us to lie low, because we are clearly not very good with ships, but soon, Norrington is yelling after us and we are speeding off into the distance.

The sun shines on the sea's surface like so many diamonds, and I rest on the companionway between the quarterdeck and the half deck. Will and Jack are having their conversation and I catch little snippets of it.

"The only rules that really matter are these..."

Smiling to myself, I go off to find Meg. She is standing at the rail of the half deck, her short hair being blown into tangles by the brisk wind. She looks less than happy.

"What's up?" I ask, concerned.

"I don't know." she sighs, "It's just...if what Calypso said is right, the film must end in the same way."

"So?" I am not sure what she's getting at.

"Will Turner ends up with Elizabeth."

Oh...so that's why she's upset, I think, she thinks she can't get her pirate.

"But, we can't stay anyway. It wouldn't matter if you could be with him, because we'd have to go home eventually." I rationalize, the only thing I've ever been any good at. Still, my friend looks sad. Perhaps reason won't do it this time.

"We could stay. If we change the course of the story...I could be with Will." her voice is small, whipped up into the crosstrees in a swirl of desperation. The wish is unasked, but I know what she means.

"Do you want to give up your old life?" I ask.

"At the moment? Honestly?" she gives me a wan smile, "More than anything."

Even if Meg is prepared to give up the world we came from, am I? I cast my mind back over my life recently; the A-level exams I took a month ago, the ones I could have passed, our parties at my friends' houses, my mum and brother waving goodbye to me on the morning I left for America. But Pirates...I have long wanted to live in the world of Pirates of the Caribbean, and I hardly fit in in 2008. Wouldn't I be happier spending my days in a semi-reality, where I am sheltered by powers I will never come to know in the real world? Where I am sheltered, adored, wanted?

"It's a big decision." I say, barely able to breathe from the enormity of it all.

"I know. Let's not decide just yet, eh?" Meg turns to me with a gentle smile, "Let's see how it turns out."


	7. Will Turner

The rain that crashes against our cabin window keeps waking me up, and I find myself lying there, cold and twisted in the sheets uncomfortably as the ship rolls away beneath me. I hear Meg get up, but I pretend to be asleep, hardly in the mood to continue our conversation from earlier.

Then, when she has left the room, I hear her return, accompanied by William Turner, and I hear the exchange between them.

"Do you love her?" Meg whispers, her voice strained with the tears held back.

"Who?"

"Elizabeth."

"You should know the answer to that, Meg." he sighs, but I can hear the tension in his voice too. He sighs angrily. "Yes. I do." I hear him leave without another word.

_Go to her, Nim, comfort her_. But my sullenness stops me from doing the right thing, and I listen to her crying herself to sleep, too troubled by my own thoughts to care. Finally, her sniffles fade into shaky breathing, and then quiet snoring. Knowing that sleep will evade me, as it always does when I'm somewhere new, I get out of bed and wrap a shawl round me.

The pirates found us nightdresses and fine clothes in the hold, so I am lucky enough not to be sleeping in my makeshift pirate costume, but I do not want to wake Meg, so I go onto the deck in a long, white nightdress and shawl. I must look crazy!

As soon as I reach the half deck, I know what a mistake it was to come out here. The deck pitches and rolls, the waves splashing up on both sides. It is too dark to find my way back to the companionway, so I stagger about, crying out but knowing my cries will be lost to the wind. Eventually, when all my logic and sense of direction has been knocked out of me, I collapse on the deck, kneeling there and sobbing.

"Who goes there?" a voice calls across the wind, and I look up to see a lantern light coming from the quarterdeck.

"It's...it's Nim!" I call back. Answering is the only way you'll avoid spending all night out here. Better humiliate yourself and at least get into the warm.

The light approaches and I can see the brown boots beside me. Jack Sparrow must have been steering the ship, and heard my wailing. Great start, Nim, he must think you're a mad hysteric.

"Erm...what are you doing?" he asks, grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet, where I stand before him, pushing my soaking hair out of my face and trying to look at the floor.

"I came out to take the air...and I got lost." I mutter.

"Come on." he does not release me, but leads me back to the stern of the ship. I think he is about to send me down the companionway, but instead he steers me towards the entrance to the Grand Cabin.

I stand in the darkened room, dripping onto the carpet and trying to stop my teeth chattering like a loon. I can hear him moving about around me, and eventually, all the gas lamps in the Captain's cabin are lit.

"Sit there." Jack shoves me over to an armchair and draws up one for himself before passing me a bottle of rum and bidding me drink. The rum is sweet and fiery, burning a path through my thoughts and pushing my troubles out. I feel as if I'm floating inside myself, and I could float here forever, "It's good, ain't it?" he sits.

I sit in silence, still shaking.

"What's the problem?" he asks awkwardly.

"Nothing." I mumble. There is nothing he can do. He won't understand.

Jack Sparrow stands up and I take it as my signal to leave. I get up too, and he smiles, looping his arm round my waist. I am trapped by the chair.

"Ah, Nim," he sighs.

"I think I'll leave now." I turn out of his grip and run blindly back to my cabin. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? my brain demands, Jack Sparrow was about to kiss you!!

When the door is closed, I get into bed. Sorry, brain, but I don't need to complicate this any further.

Morning comes, warm and calm as if the storm never happened. I hope that the previous night's events will disappear with as much ease, but when Meg wakes up and rolls over to look at me, I take in the sight of her red eyes, and know that nothing is that easily solved.  
We dress and go out onto the deck, where Will and Jack are at the helm.

"Good morning, ladies." Jack takes an exaggerated bow, smiling roguishly at me.

"Good morning." Will echoes, "Meg, I hope you are feeling better this morning."

"Yes, thank you." she is aloof, the picture of carelessness. He looks wounded, and I can't help but smile. You show him, Meg!

"Good morning, gentlemen," I match her tone, "We will reach Tortuga this evening, yes?"

"Aye, love." Jack stands straight and turns the wheel a little, "We've a fair wind."

Meg and I walk to the bow and watch the waves break on the ship as it slices through them. The wind and spray on my face wake me up immediately, and I can hear Meg laughing beside me. It's good to see she's better...or at least playing the part well.

"I heard what Will said last night." I tell her.

"You must think I'm a fool." she looks away.

"Never! We're in this together, remember? We can change things...if we want to. It's not like our world...we have power here." the longing in my voice startles me.

"I know. If we change the story, we have to stay." she repeats the rule glumly.

Wondering what Tortuga will bring, I walk off to see if I can find us some breakfast. The decision we have to make still plays on my mind, and I wonder how I am supposed to give my friend advice when I don't know the answer myself.


	8. Tortuga

Tortuga looms ahead of us in the night, a glimmer of lights on a dark horizon. The night sky is clear, and I find myself quite in love with the freedom of it, sea and sky, with nothing between them except us, tiny spots on a grand ocean, there for the exploring. I am up on the quarterdeck, watching Jack at the helm. He is supposed to be teaching me navigation, but he's not much of a teacher, and I am prone to fits of daydreaming and troubled thoughts.

Meg is supposed to be learning swordplay with Will, and occasionally I see her dance across the deck, her blade catching the moonlight, dazzling me. The clash of their swords, far off and resonant, is almost like music. I haven't felt this relaxed since we arrived.

"Do you think I will learn to swordfight?" I ask Jack, almost involuntarily. He grins at me wickedly and looks at me.

"Don't think it's your style." he hands me his pistol, "I reckon you'd be a good shot though."

The gun, heavy in my hand, is like all things forbidden. I long to try it out, and to have him teach me. Since the night he tried to kiss me, all I've been able to think of is him. Curse my stupid brain. But, back home, I used to shoot with a BB gun, and I was a pretty good shot. With one look at Meg, who is quite the warrior princess with her short hair fluttering about her cheeks like a fallen halo as she parries with Will, I decide it. We can't have her getting ahead of me in pirate class!

"Teach me." I say, with so much confidence in my voice, I barely recognize myself.  
The breath is forced from my lungs as he stands close behind me, so close I shiver at each point of contact between us. He holds up my left arm, which holds the gun, and bends my elbow into position.

"With your arm straight, you'll break your shoulder." his voice is so close to my ear, "Relax a little." To think a moment ago, I was cool as a sea cucumber, and now I am like a nervous wreck. Reluctantly, I relax into him, "Good girl. Now, shoot. Try and hit the crows nest up there." he slides his hand down my arm as he raises it towards the crow's nest.

With a deep breath, I pull the trigger, the gun forcing my arm to jerk up a little. An ear-splitting crack breaks the night, and then the sound of the bullet hitting wood. In the faint twilight, I can see that I made a little hole in the crow's nest.

"I did it!" I laugh hysterically, then remembering that Jack Sparrow is behind me, I stop with an odd choking noise. His arm, still on mine, pulls me round to face him, and he looks at me. We are barely inches apart. Everything is silent now. Where are Meg and Will's sword sounds? The whoosh of the ocean against the hull? It's as if the night has fallen slient for this one, terrifying moment.

"Yes. I told you you'd be good." he runs a long finger lightly down my cheek. With another nervous laugh, I am off, running down the companionway, my hair flying out behind me.

"Hahaha!" I laugh gleefully, "Meg, I can shoot." even though the pitch of my voice is three octaves higher than usual and I am silently praying to Satan that my cheeks aren't as red as they feel, I am still not embarassed enough to know he is still standing there, his hand now redundant at his side, and a look of confused disappoinment on his face.

We reach Tortuga, and Meg and I decide to explore while Jack and Will go off to find their crew, and as we know, Mr Gibbs. The pair of us slip into a tavern called the Bella Muerte and order a couple of rums. Wondering if I will get away with it, I hand over a regular 21st century £2 coin.

"Ere now, what's this? Dodgy money?" the bartender looks at the coins, and then at us.

"No...it's..." Meg chokes.

"Fear not, dear ladies. I will buy these drinks." a man who looks like a fallen member of the aristocracy slurs at us and hands over a couple of copper coins.

We thank him and make our way to a little table in the corner, away from the light of the lanterns.

"He tried to kiss you again, didn't he?" Meg leans over at me as we drink the rum. The same light-headedness I felt that night in Jack's grand cabin is back, only not half as intense.

"Yes." I mumble, barely able to keep the smile from my face.

"And you ran off again like a moron? To come tell me how you can shoot?" she laughs derisively, "Fool!"

"I know. I spooked, is all. He's quite intimidating. And we haven't decided yet."

"Decided what?" she looks quizically at me.

"Whether we're staying or going."

"Don't think about it." she smiles reassuringly, "There's nothing wrong with having a little fun while we're here, is there?"

I know she's right. This is all a bit of fun, an illusion. It makes me less sure about wanting to stay. You can't keep up that illusion forever...it's like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands.

But then, my mind is quite distracted. A brawl breaks out in the centre of the bar, and the man who bought our drinks is over at our table like a shot, offering us a "place to hide".

But, his filthy grin reveals his true intentions, and I realize we are alone in Tortuga, a lawless town, without weapons.

We refuse, obviously, but he gets angry.

"You'll do what I say, wench!" he slaps me across the face.

"Hey!" Meg rushes to my defence and pulls on his hair, which comes away in her hand...a wig. A mass of black curls fall to his shoulders, and he lunges at her.

"Oi! You!" I turn. Jack has just entered, sword out, the new crew not far behind him, and Will of course. They mean to reach us, but get caught in the brawl, forced to swordfight their way through the crowd. I catch Jack's eye and look imploringly at him, as the scary, black-haired man grabs Meg and I by the necks, holding the blade of his knife to my throat. I can feel it cutting me a little, the trickle of blood down my neck. Jack is busy, but he deftly reaches into his belt and grabs his pistol, throwing it to me. Meg has been given a sword by Will, and I know we're about to fight our way out.

My heart beating a mile a minute in my throat, I hold the gun to the side of my captor's head and cock it. The soft snick-snick is enough to make him freeze.

"Let. go. of. us." I say, and he does, very fast, "Meg! We have to leave." We look at the fighting men.

"Follow me! Stick close!" she dives into the throng, and after knocking down a few men, she has us out into the street, gasping for air and checking that we're both OK.

"That was brilliant!" I tell her, and she smiles weakly, stopping to catch her breath.  
Mr Gibbs and Will come out, dragging between them...Jack. His shirt is cut open, and the cut there pours blood onto the white fabric. He rolls his eyes groggily to me. He is alive, but wounded.

"We have to get to the ship...else he'll bleed to death!" Gibbs orders us after him, and we follow, hurrying behind the crew.

"Meg, I have to help him!" I say to my friend in a low voice.

"Now isn't the time to decide you have feelings for our dear captain." she sneers.

"No, you don't get it. If he dies, we've altered the story. We'll have to stay!" I cry. She falls silent, the smile slipping from her face.

"You'd better be good at stitching."


	9. Stitches

They carry him into the Grand Cabin, with me following like a puppy. I know that I will have to save him, but I don't have the slightest bit of experience with stitching gaping wounds.  
I stand by as they lower him onto a chaise and Gibbs wisely pours a large glass of rum for himself, and hands the bottle to Jack, who slurps it, struggling to drink whilst lying down.

"All we can do is cover the wound!" Anamaria, the unexpected crew member states imperiously from her place at Jack's side. I am left in the corner, and I feel somewhat usurped by her, standing there with a strength and grace I will never possess. If you don't let him kiss you soon...she will. Trying to shut my brain up, I clear my throat.

"No. I believe we can stitch it up." I offer, a croak in my voice as I try to sound as cool as her.

"And who are you?" she glares at me.

"I'm Nim. My friend and I offered to help Jack when he got us out of prison in Port Royal."

"Stitch the wound? That's absurd. No one among us is a surgeon."

"I have...some experience." I lie. Hemming skirts and cross-stitching Christmas cards is hardly the same as sewing a man's flesh back together, but I am willing to try. This is my test. If he dies, and the story changes, we'll be stuck here forever, "Get him some more rum and something to bite." I order, joy welling up inside as she rushes to obey, "And I'll need a clean needle, some strong thread and...some water to drink."

When all my equipment is ready, I thread the needle and push Jack's shirt open. I rub the wound with some water and a rag to clean away the coagulating, congealing blood before I begin my grisly work. As the needle pierces his skin, he moans and writhes beneath my hands. I am almost sick with it. It takes a long time, and Anamaria's and Gibbs' breath on my neck do nothing to make my job easier, but eventually, the wound is stitched together.

I give a yelp of relief, cutting the thread and drinking the rest of my water in long, thirsty gulps.

It must be a few hours later when I finally wake up, on the floor of the grand cabin, the stitching equipment still beside me and Jack sleeping fitfully on the chaise above me. The crew must have left me here. The room is dark, and I am up on silent feet, wanting to make it to the door and out before he wakes up.

On the half deck, Meg sits with Will, leaning against the mast, their swords abandoned by their sides. Their heads lightly touch as they sit there, contented smiles on their faces. I feel alone, as if I have lost something but I can't tell what. Gibbs is at the helm and he sings a low sea shanty, magnifying my sadness, which is mixed with exquisite exhaustion, until I am drowning in it.

I watch as Will slowly raises his hand to her face and kisses her. She responds eagerly, and I walk away, hoping that the fresh air might revive me, but it does not. With no reason, I head back to the grand cabin, where perhaps I can be of use.

I light the candles in the room, and return to Jack's side. I clean the wound again, and it is only when the cold water touches his skin that he wakes.

"You...did this?" at first, I think he means to accuse me of stabbing him, but then I realise he is referring to the stitches.

"Yes." I reply. Where's Anamaria now?! Ha!

"Thanks, love." he smiles grimly, and involuntarily, I sit down beside him, "Would you pour me some rum?"

"Yes." I repeat. Why is it I manage to say yes normally, but no at the wrong moment? I get up and go to the desk, the swish of my skirts the only sound in the room, save the sputtering of the candles, and Jack's ragged breathing. The bottle shivers in my hand, clinking against the glass as I pour a generous measure for him, and return to my place perched on the chaise.

Greedily, he slurps the rum, turning those sloe-brown eyes to face me when he is finished.

"Thanks again." he says. He grabs my shoulder and pulls my face down to his, kisses me.

It is almost like when we travelled through time and space, as if I'm coming apart. I can taste the rum on his lips, smell the sea air on his skin and without really intending to, I kiss him back. _Finally, you stupid girl._


	10. High Seas

I am sitting on my bed in the darkened cabin, still reeling from Jack's lips on my own, the graze of his fingers still tangible on my neck, when she comes in. For a moment, Meg is thrown into sharp relief by the moonlight flooding through our open door, and I can see the tear-tracks glistening on her face. But the door closes, and she goes to sit on the bed opposite mine.

"What's wrong?" I ask. Only a while ago, she was kissing Will on the half deck beneath starry skies. Now, she is shivering and trying not to cry.

She explains; he kissed her, he told her he loved her, but he called her Elizabeth, and all my euphoria is gone as quickly as it came on. I am furious with him for doing it to her; calling her Elizabeth? He took advantage, and I won't have it. I might not be perfect, but I have some loyalty to my friends...even if they insist on betraying me.

"That's it." I get up, deciding, "I'm going to talk to him."

"You can't!" Meg cries, shock registering on her face.

"I bloody well can...and I will! I won't have this!"

Despite her protests, I leave the room and walk purposefully down to the crew's quarters. He sits there on his hammock, a pensive look hanging about him. But, to reach him, I must cross the room, which is full of sailors. They watch me warily, and a few make comments that I can't repeat. But, instead of running and hiding like I normally would, I steel myself until I am at his side.

"I would like a word." I say calmly.

We are out on the forecastle, the wind whipping my hair up into a frenzied swirl about my head. Will stands opposite me, his hands in his pockets.

"Yes, Nim? Why have you called me out here?" he regards me disdainfully, and I'm reminded of our first meeting in the blacksmith. Oh, yes, Nim...this guy hates you. Remember? He threatened to have you killed?

"What you did to Meg..." I begin, unsure where to take this without sounding crazy or aggressive, "...it was unforgivable."

"Look, I don't think you understand." he takes a step closer, lowering his voice to ensure we're not heard, "I spooked. All this voyage is for Elizabeth, and I find myself thinking about someone else instead. I never intended to call her Elizabeth."

"Well, which do you choose?" I ask boldly.

"I don't yet know. Elizabeth certainly seems like the safe choice, and she's been captured by pirates!"

"There are no safe choices, Will, only other ones." I tell him, hoping to seem wise. I hope he doesn't know I stole that line from a book...

"Yes. I want to choose Meg..." he smiles, "but I fear there are many things about the two of you I am yet to discover."

"Mystery is better than obviousness. Follow your heart." I walk away, sounding like a cheesy Valentine's card but knowing I have made a difference. Will should be able to make up his mind in a way that is satisfactory, I think.

But, Nim, you've your own mind to think of. What about Jack...and what about home? I dismiss the questions and wander back to the cabin, where I find Meg, sleeping on her bed, still in her dress. She stirs when I enter.

"Did you talk to him?" she asks sleepily.

"Yes."

"And?"

"Everything will be alright." I change into my nightdress, and in my head I can't help hearing the word hopefully.


	11. Isla de Muerta

I go ashore in the little rowing boat with Jack, Meg and Will. As we near the caves, Meg and I hear their conversation and can't help laughing.

"You sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew outta Tortuga, and you're completely obsessed with treasure."

It's strangely comforting to hear the familiar words from the film, almost as if it reminds me that we're in a pseudo-reality, where I have control. Meg, however, slips into depression once more. I know she is thinking that at the end of this boat ride, Elizabeth waits, and Will is bound to be tempted by her. The powerful magic Calypso gave me is beginning to take its toll, and I am exhausted. I need sleep. Silently, I take Meg's hand and try to cheer her up. Her thoughts travel through my head, and it's the first time we realize we can hear each other's thoughts.

Will he choose me, her thoughts echo in my brain.

If he has any sense, I reply without making a sound. She smiles.  
The scene plays out just like it does in the film; I see Elizabeth's hand cut, the curse remain on Barbossa and his crew, and I watch her tumble down a mound of treasure to be met by Will, who swims out to her. Meg makes to follow them back to the rowing boat, but I catch her.

"Where are you going?" I hiss.

"We're going back to the Interceptor, aren't we?" she looks puzzled.

"I was going to go with Jack aboard the Pearl." I answer.

"Go on then." she smiles slyly, "You go with Jack, and I'll go with Will."

"Alright." I never meant for us to split up, but this is an adventure, and risk is what's keeping me alive, "But be careful." Meg looks at me, unsure whether I mean with Will, or in general, and for a moment, I don't know either. But then she is gone, and I am left to climb a pile of treasure in search of Jack.

"Gents, y'all remember Captain Jack Sparrow?" I fall into the middle of this scene, where Barbossa's crew have their guns trained on Jack, "Kill him."

"The girl's blood didn't work, did it?" Jack replies, before seeing me, "Nim, I thought you'd gone back to the Interceptor."

"No. I'm staying here with you." I say, realizing only too late that I must sound annoying and clingy. Jack only smiles smugly.

"Who's this?" Barbossa snaps.

"This is my dear friend Nim." Jack replies, "Now, as I was saying...the girl's blood didn't work, did it?"

"Hold your fire!" Barbossa orders his crew, who lower their guns reluctantly, "You know whose blood we need?" the vicious captain asks Jack.

"I know whose blood you need."

Later, I find myself in the brig of the Pearl with Jack. She is a fearsome ship, with a great, black hull and ragged black sails; your typical cursed ship. And the crew aren't very nice either. They leered at me as I was brought aboard.

"Now, Miss Nim..." Jack sits down on the floor of his cell, and I'm reminded of our night in jail together, "...what can we do while we're stuck here?" the improper advance implied has me gasping for air all of a sudden. He gets up, and comes to stand opposite me, his smile ripe.

"Haven't you thought about how to get out?" I ask, desperate to change the subject.

"No. I'm fine here for the moment." he pulls me to him, but I push him firmly away, "You weren't so unwilling the other night."

"But you have serious business to think of. Listen." I pull him down onto the floor where we sit opposite one another, "The crew of the Interceptor will fight, and there will come a time when we can escape the brig. When we do, we swing over to the Interceptor." I tell him how it happens in the film.

"How does that get me my ship, love?"

"That will come. But, trust me, you must get back to the Interceptor." I implore.

"Alright. On one condition..." he kisses me, and pushes me down to the floor, his hand snaking from my waist to the laces of my corset. He is about to undo them, but the first shot is fired, and he springs off of me, uttering the immortal line, "STOP BLOWING HOLES IN MY SHIP!"

Soon, we escape the brig and swing across to the Interceptor. I avoid the fighting, and go to find Meg in our cabin. She is sitting on the bed, restless.

"Hi! I made it back." I tell her, "How are things with you and Will?"

"Nothing's happened yet. I think I'll stay with him when you and Jack go onto the rumrunners' island." she smiles, and I am glad that Will has not chosen Elizabeth...yet.

"Who said I was going on that island?" I laugh.

"Like you would pass up the opportunity for the night with Jack." she remarks wryly, and I blush in spite of myself, my mind going involuntarily back to the brig, where he pushed me to the floor, his weight pinning me there.

"And Elizabeth will be there, so you'll have Will to yourself." I parry, and she takes her turn to blush, "In the brig of the Pearl, I think."

"Of course." she replies. We embrace lightly, and go upstairs to face the fight. Barbossa is rounding the crew up and taking us over to the Pearl. I stay with Jack, and Meg follows, knowing Will is trying to find the medallion. He'll emerge soon from the burning wreck of the Interceptor and announce his bloodline.

When he does, I wave goodbye to Meg, as I'm shoved overboard with Jack and we are forced to swim to the island. I hope she is as lucky with Will as I am with Jack.


	12. Marooned

**Hi! Please review, people. I get disheartened otherwise. **

As I feed fire wood into our gradually-growing fire, I wonder how Meg is coping in the brig with Will. Thinking it won't work, I try to contact her with my thoughts.

Meg, can you hear me? I will her to answer, and her voice comes to me, like a conversation heard from through a wall, but clear nonetheless.

Yes. How are you? her reply sounds sad.

Fine. Elizabeth's getting in the way, but I'm alright. What about you?

I don't know, Nim. Will clearly loves her, but I don't know if he knows which to choose.

Just hold on. We have all the power now. If you want him, he will love you. How could he not? I try my hardest to comfort her, but still she seems sad. It's like an instinct; I can feel her emotion as she must be able to feel mine. This must be the bond the locket spoke of.

I know. I'll try.

He does care for you, you know. I assure her, thinking back to my conversation with the whelp. He is tactless and a bit thick, but otherwise a good guy. He'll realize eventually.

Yes. Well, good luck.

And to you. I break the connection and return to feeding the fire. Somewhere behind me, Elizabeth is sitting, waiting to get warm by the fire...as if she couldn't possibly help me build it, and Jack is in the trees fetching more firewood. At least he is helping me and not sitting around like some princess.

"So, Nim, how did you come to be on the ship?" Elizabeth asks in her perfectly accented English.

"You know...I end up here and there." I state vaguely. I already know that she is attracted to Jack, and I'm quick to defend myself, even though I am not yet sure whether I'm staying here or not.

"It's no life for a lady." she sniffs.

"Well, we aren't all born with a silver spoon in our mouths, your grace." suddenly narked, I storm off to find Jack.

Unsurprisingly, he is sitting on the edge of the rum cache, his feet dangling and a bottle in his hand. He sings "A Pirate's Life for Me" under his breath between gulps, and I laugh softly as I sit beside him.

"'Ello, Nim. You left ol' Miss Swann over there by herself." he offers me a bottle.

"Yes. Aren't you supposed to be collecting firewood?" I ask, although we don't need any more just yet.

"Hmm...I'm having a break. I can tell by the smoke that you have things well in hand." he gestures to the smoke plume that rises from the direction of the beach, "Where did you learn to build a fire?" he asks.

"Here and there." this seems to be my answer to everything these days.

"The mystery deepens." he purrs. I can tell he intends to kiss me again, so I get up fast. The sudden movement, rum and the fact JACK SPARROW wants to kiss me again makes my head spin and I sway on the spot. When I get my balance, I am off, running through the palm trees, weaving between them like an apparition in white. I can hear his footsteps giving chase, and vague shouts for me to come back, and half of me wants to be caught. Perhaps he would push me to the floor again, and I would find myself pinned to the earth by his choice, his legs atop mine. Suddenly, my breath is coming fast, and it's not from the exercise.

I carry on running and make it out onto the unfamiliar beach on the other side of the island to the fire, and Elizabeth. Out here, it is dark, the sky dotted with stars and the sand glowing like the eerie surface of the moon. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. The sea rolls out before me, and I long to swim, as I am hot from running, and sweat streaks my face. Jack emerges from the woods, and my mind is made up. I run out into the water, swimming nowhere in particular, throwing handstands and flips in the warm Caribbean sea.

He makes to swim after me, but I am swimming round to the other side of the island, reaching the corner faster than him. He is a good swimmer, but his clothes weigh him down, and I am only in a light nightdress and corset, which makes breathing hard, but takes in hardly any water. But, I have not swam in a long time, and he catches me up just as we reach the stretch of island where Elizabeth sits. She is far down the beach from us, and I can see her craning her neck to see what we're about. Jack's arms pin mine to my sides underwater, and we float there, with me struggling half-heartedly.

"Got you." he says, as we float in suspended animation, our feet brushing the sandy sea bed. He kisses me hard, his mouth hot compared to the cool sea water. This time, he successfully unlaces my corset and it floats away from us, but I find I don't care.

I can tell he's never chased after anyone before...it's not his nature, and he holds onto me as if he is reluctant to let me go. Even as we swim to the shore, he keeps hold of my wrist.

"Where did you come from? Where's the firewood?" Elizabeth whines when we reach her. She takes in the soggy sight of us and rolls her eyes, "Well, is there any food back in the rum cache? I'm hungry."

"Yes." Jack smiles winningly at her, "Go get some. Nim and I will dry ourselves off here." we sit by the fire as Elizabeth trudges off up the beach to fetch some food from the cache. I can feel the heat of the flames drying my soaking nightdress, and my long, limp hair.

"I seriously need some conditioner." I mutter to myself, and the exhaustion that's been threatening to engulf me all day finally takes over. I am suddenly ridiculously sleepy. As I lie back on the sand and close my eyes, I sense him lying down beside me, his arm looped over me. He turns me over, so I face him, and then he's kissing me again. Does this guy ever stop? But there's no way I'm going to push him off me.

Elizabeth returns and drops the food by our heads.

"Bloody pirates!" she hisses with irritation, and she flops back down in the sand, helping herself to biscuits and salted meat.

I wake the next morning on a bed of palm fronds, far away from the fire and from Jack's influence. It's not that I feared sleeping by him, it's that I feared my inability to resist temptation. He sleeps by the sea, and I can see Elizabeth throwing barrels of rum into the fire's hungry jaws.

"What are you doing? You burned all the food, the shade, the rum!" he wakes up and walks over to her.

"Yes, the rum is gone."

"Why is the rum gone?"

"This signal is over a thousand feet high! The entire royal Navy is out looking for me. Do you really think that there is even the slightest chance they won't see it?" she snaps at him.

"But why is the rum gone?"

"Just wait, Captain Sparrow. Give it an hour...maybe two, keep a weather eye open, and you will see white sails on that horizon."

I laugh to myself as he storms off down the beach, and then I get up, pulling my fingers through my hair in an effort to brush it, for I know that soon, we will be on board the HMS Dauntless with Commodore Norrington...and the final battle will commence. Meg and I will be reunited, and the ultimate choice will have to be made. Do we stay in this world, or make our way home? The question burns inside me even now, and I vow to make my last hours with Jack count for something. There is something that tells me that I am needed in the 21st century, whatever Meg's decision is.


	13. Meg's Battle

**Once again, this is a Meg chapter. Not written by Nim. Sorry about the grammar. Just get the plot points, then get out! Cool... it's like a mission! Anyways, on with the show...**

The swords heave up, and around each other. They clash like mutual enemies in a real complicated war. I knew there was going to be an ending to it. I just didn't know how I was going to survive this. Hopefully with my future husband beside of me, everything seemed it was going to be alright. Just seeing his eyes,face, or being in his arms made me feel warmth and contentiousness. Oh, how I loved my beau so much. I would do anything in the world for him, as I hope he would do for me.

If my decision were to stay here, I know he would make me happy. The only part that worried me the most is missing my dear family, and friends, and of course Nim.

My eyes swift toward Nim's direction. I envied her so much. She was a spectacular person on the inside, and out. Never scared of anything that got in her way.

She already seemed to want to protect me from harm. Nim couldn't be scared of anything, unless it was love! She has came along way though. She was in fact her pirate's beau, and I respected her for that. It was true, I was defiantly blessed then what I should have been blessed with. If I were to die tonight in this bittersweet battle, I will be ready to leave this earth knowing this adventure has given me a better outlook to living. I pray harder, and give a silent whisper into the cold chilled air.

"Lord give me strength." I whisper.

As I open my eyes back up, I hold my arms up in the air so my sword was diagonally in arms reach. Taking a deep breath I stepped forward into the crowd of an epic battle that had to have an outcome. Hopefully God could hear my prayers I have asked of him.

The swords clash once more, and my body trembled, but I had to keep fighting.

The hard metal's clashed against each other once more. I knocked down a couple of immortal pirates, along with taking one in the chest. One came up from behind me that I didn't see. I could hear the pitter patter of his feet coming at me. I was to scared to turn my head, and look. I thought I was going to die at that moment, until my beloved beau came to rescue me. There he was ready to defend his beau like he always would.

Will smacked the bloody pirate right a cross his visage. I heard a moan come from the smelly pirate, and he was dead as Will crushed his rib cage.

"Are you alright?" He asked me. Touching my cheek.

I was trembling, but I managed to nod, replying with a quick. "Yes, I am, danki Will." I smile.

Will had a curious look on his face at the word "danki". I know I shouldn't be using Dutch words to him, but somehow I couldn't help it!

We both smile, and turn from each other, backs turned.

Will scurries off into the direction of a bunch of bloody pirates once more.

My eyes scan the huge crowd for Nim. I couldn't spot her, until I see her chained up to one of the poles of the ship.

I run in the direction where Nim is.

"Nim, what is happening?" I yell.

I try to run, but a figure's arm catches my right wrist.

"Best not be doing that. I know all about your secret Ms. Webb."

Take these two to the brig!" he yells

Two immortal pirates drag Nim, and I off towards the entrance of the stairwell.

I blink back tears as I am dragged off into the direction the men were caring me.

My eyes lock with Barbossa's, as his gold tooth glisten from a distance. Could all hope be lost? Nothing I could do could over the power that God didn't answer my prayers.

I scan the crowd once more for my beau. I got one last look at him, as Nim, and I turn the corner so we couldn't see nothing more of the bittersweet battle.


	14. The Gallows & The Choice

**The last chapter. There is an epilogue afterwards. We've written both the DMC and AWE sequels (Nim is joined in writing by the other PBs - see our profile - during the third fic) and we're working on the fourth installment, which is entirely of our own invention. It's... interesting, is all I'll say. Read and review!**

I pace the brig with Meg, struggling to keep calm. She cries, for she knows that unless she reaches Will, he will undoubtedly choose Elizabeth by default, and she will be forced to return to the 21st century with me. How to escape? The hinges are different to those back at Fort Charles, and I know that Will's famous leverage trick won't work here.

"We must get out." I murmur desperately. Just then, almost as if my prayer has been answered, I hear a clatter of swords and a man makes his ungainly way down the companionway, before straightening his white wig and leaning against the wall to catch his breath. It's none other than my old friend Commodore Norrington! Fixing a smile to my face, I mutter to Meg to play along, and begin.

"Commodore, so pleased to meet you again!" I call, and he comes over, noticing us. The stage is missing a fine actress in you, Nim.  
"Lady Nim...I see you're in a cell again. I suppose God works in mysterious ways." he parries, giving me a disapproving look.

"This be the devil's work, love." I tell him, not losing my smile, "For if I'm in here, there's no way you'll win the battle against the pirates." OK...that's a lie, but I'm hoping he'll just accept it.

"Oh yes? And what would you know of naval tactics?" he sneers.

"We're pirates!" Meg snaps at him, and I glare at her. Don't lose your temper now, Meg! We need him on-side in order to get out of here.

"Yes, I have heard." Norrie looks at her, then back to me again, "I suppose you want my help to get out."

"Precisely, my dear." I tell him. OK, Nim...time for the kill, "Commodore, come closer. I do believe you've got a gash on your face."

Dim-wittedly, the poor man steps right up to me. I could threaten him with my pistol, but like I've said, I've always liked Norrington. Instead, I grab his shirt and kiss him full on the lips, pulling him right up to the bars. He looks stunned for a moment, as if someone has just knocked him on the head with a rum bottle.

"Now, get me out of here." I command him, and this time he does not hesitate. He grabs the keys from their hook just behind him and unlocks the cell door.

Meg and I rush past him with words of thanks, and up onto the deck, where, in the midst of the battle, we are unnoticed. We jump overboard and swim towards the Isla de Muerta. We need to reach the caves, where Jack and Will still fight Barbossa. A few yards off, I see Elizabeth in her rowing boat that is headed the same way as us.

"Elizabeth!" Meg calls. She stops rowing and waits for us to reach her boat.

"What are you two doing?" Elizabeth asks. She is unimpressed by the pair of us, because Meg stole Will, and I have taken Jack all to myself. However, she lets us climb aboard with some irritation.

We reach the caves just in time to fight off a few immortal pirates, Will and Meg fighting side by side as if born to it, and myself and Elizabeth not making a bad team either. She stops looking so damn grouchy when we fight, and it clearly takes her mind off her lost William.

"You know, I think you might do well to reconsider Norrington's offer." I tell her casually as we fight off a pair of living skeletons, "He's quite charming really."

"Shut up, Nim." she calls back, and skips across a series of stepping stones in order to reach some more skeletons. This is where it begins.

Barbossa turns his pistol to her, as Jack turns his pistol to him. The medallion he has just thrown to Will sails through the air, unbeknown to Barbossa who gives Jack a smug look. Jack has a look of utmost gravity on his face, and I almost die from it. He looks so serious, and I wonder why I've chosen to go home, when I could so easily wrap myself in the blanket of this world, of him, and lose myself in it. But I am needed in my world, in one way or another. My heart aches with the decision.

Captain Sparrow cocks his pistol and shoots Barbossa, his mutinous first mate. The air cracks with the gunshot and the anticipation, as we all wait. Behind Barbossa, bathed in a pool of moonlight, Will cuts into his own hand and holds the medallion over the chest. Meg smiles up at him, and I know she has found her place.

"Ten years you carry that pistol, and now you waste your shot." Barbossa mocks Jack.

"He didn't waste it." As everyone turns to face Will, he drops the coins into the chest, and a look of horror settles on Barbossa's weathered face. He rips open his jacket and looks in surprise at the spreading flower of blood on his shirt.

"I feel...cold." he mutters, startled at his mortality, the fact he can feel at all. And with that, he falls...amidst a pile of his beloved treasure, an apple rolling from his hand.

I stand upon the gallows, listening to my so-called crimes being read out along with Jack's, whose hand is in mine. We won't take the drop. Indeed, I can already see Will making his way through the crowd, leaving his fiancee's side. I mean Meg, of course, who is looking perfect in an 18th century pink silk dress, her blonde hair elaborately curled and fastened with a comb that won't quite hold it, so that it falls like a halo around her head. She smiles up at me.

"...may God have mercy on your souls." the executioner finishes, a grave note in his voice.

Many things then happen at once; the hooded man pulls the lever and we fall with a sickening jolt, but Will's sword gives us somewhere to balance our feet as it sticks hard into the wood of the gallows' trapdoor. We have survived the drop, but the noose round my neck is hardly comfortable, and I am relieved when Jack helps me down.

Jack, Will and I fight our way up to the battlements. Rather, they fight and I run along beside them. Meg follows us, and she is followed by soldiers, Elizabeth, Norrington and Governor Swann. Soon, we are surrounded at the same place where Norrington proposed to Elizabeth way back at the start of the film. The air is warm, promising a bright, summer's day, and I find it hard to keep from crying. There is not much time until I will have to leave.

"You forget your place, Turner." Norrington tells Will, and I come out of my reverie. I should savour this last scene.

"It's right here, between you and Jack." Will answers nobly. Meg goes and stands beside him, closely followed by Elizabeth.

"As is mine." my friend says defiantly. I smile at her, so proud. It seems we are both changed after our adventure in this century.

"I think we've all arrived at a very special place, eh?" Jack takes my hand and leads me up to the governor, who has just given the command for the soldiers to lower their weapons. We can't have the governor's daughter being threatened with bayonets, "Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically?" the governor winces at the rum on his breath, the same rum I tasted on his lips beneath a starry sky as we lay on a beach beside a vicious fire. The tears threaten again, "Elizabeth, it would never have worked between us, darling. I'm sorry." she looks ready to protest, but she smiles, knowing that, even after losing Will and Jack, it has been a very good adventure.

Jack leads me up to the battlement. He is ready to jump.

"After you." he gestures to the wall, expecting me to go first. He still has his famous line to deliver.

"Jack, I'm not coming." I say quietly. The look on his face is devastating; resigned sadness so beautiful I'm ready to give up my decision.

"I...I thought you would...come with me."

"So did I, but I don't belong here." I kiss him, the warmth of his chest against my own combined with the smell of sea air, lingering on his hair as it tangles with my own, is almost enough to stop me going...almost. "I love you, Jack." I whisper, finally crying as I knew I would all along.

"Very well. Goodbye, Nim." he turns back to the crowd, "Friends, this is the day you will always remember as the day that you..."

He drops off the battlements, and it is the last I see of him. I rush to Meg, who hugs me.

"Commodore?" Gillette is asking for orders, but Norrington is looking curiously after Jack.  
"Perhaps that on the rare occasion that pursuing the right course demands an act of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course?" the governor says, and Norrington smiles.

"Goodbye, Meg." I tell her, choking.

"Bye, Nim. See you soon."

"What about Sparrow?" Gillette asks.

"Oh, I think we can give him one day's head start." Norrington walks off, followed by Governor Swann, who walks arm-in-arm with Elizabeth. The sun is coming up, and Meg is about to be kissed by Will, confirming that the story is changed for her. It's time for me to leave. I am needed in my own world, and although there is a certain pirate who would have me stay, I am suddenly excited to be going home. That is my place.

I hold the necklace as the wind swirls around me, and I almost hear a fraction of song; the tiniest fragment of the crescendo of "One Day". The adventure is over.  
Calypso, take me home...


	15. Epilogue

Epilogue - two weeks later

I lie on my bed as the sun begins to set outside my window. From downstairs, I can smell the strawberries that I picked, which are now cooking in a crumble, next door's barbecue and the warm, perfect air of a summer afternoon. The silk curtain flutters against my face as I look out on the trees, rooves, lawns; all bathed in the golden light of a dying sun. My cell phone buzzes beside me, a message from my friends confirming our plans for tomorrow. They're glad to have me back, though they think I've only been on a trip to America. It's funny really. Tomorrow we will go out for lunch, see a film, do one of the things that kept me here, instead of with Jack. No one will ever know.

I reach out and pick up the locket, which lies beside my bed amid all my notebooks and writing equipment. It has not opened since I returned home. Sighing happily, I wonder how Meg is getting on, whether she and Will are married yet and whether Jack is slowly forgetting me. Tossing the locket onto the bed, I get up and head for the door.

What's that? I turn back. Calypso's locket still lies on my bed, but it is open...and the quiet, music-box music is playing, a continuous refrain. I rush back to it and pick it up, gasping as a piece of paper flutters to the floor, falling out of the locket, as the first one did all that time ago. Excitement building within me, I read;  
_  
Your souls were joined, you made a choice_

_But across the worlds, here comes a voice;_

_For Dead Man's Chest, she will need you._

_The adventure is about to start anew._

I drop the locket and head downstairs._ Allow me one more day in my world, Meg. Then...game on._


End file.
